AT&T to fight texting while driving

AT&T has leapt into the texting-while-driving debate, launching a campaign to educate the public about the danger.

“Texting has increasingly become the way to communicate for many people, and the urge to quickly read and respond – even while driving – can be tempting,” said Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson. “Our goal is to send a simple, yet vital, message to all wireless users: don’t text and drive.”

The campaign has a number of elements. First, like Caesar’s wife, AT&T staff are expected to be above reproach – although with nearly 290,000 employees, there’s surely a PR disaster waiting to happen.

The company is also going to label its handsets ‘don’t text and drive’, and stick the message into its catalogs, in-store signs and bills.

It plans to produce a series of public service announcements – some with high-profile spokespersons, it says proudly – and aimed at a variety of audiences including parents and teens. It will also create an online resource center for downloadable tools and tips for parents and teachers.

Presumably it will stop short of sending out text alerts on the topic.